With This Knife
by Shashkia
Summary: GaaraxOC; GaaxOc: The time it started was a mystery.. Exact dates are unknown even now, only the fall of the Roman Empire, which happened over a period of hundreds of years, marks the start of the time we know as the Dark Ages.. Gaara is a prick in this!
1. Prologue: Prince Gaara

**A/N: **The time it started was a mystery.. Exact dates are unknown even now, only the fall of the Roman Empire, which happened over a period of hundreds of years, marks the start of the time we know as the Dark Ages. Humanity, civilization now, has no recollection or any account of anyone from that time. So, my lovelies, let me bring you into my tale, taking place in the Dark Ages, while the Roman Empire had fallen and the Middle Ages began.

This is purely for fun!

Disclaimer; I do not own Naruto (unfortunately), nor do I own any of the songs that will be referenced to in this fic. Everything belongs to it's respectful owners, no matter how much I wish it was mine. Hehehe.

Ps - Gaara will be a teensy bit OOC. No hate mail. He's an asshole for a reason.. It fits! :D

Now, dears, shall we begin?

* * *

Memories.. Only scattered fragments of a past long gone. Long forgotten. The only thing left were shadowy images of bright orange flames, and faces, out of focus and too dark to recognize. These images plagued Jez, night after night.

The dreams began as fun times with her adopted family, then morphed into horrific flashes. She knew her subconscious was trying to tell her something, to clue her in on something big that was about to happen in her life, yet in her hazy dream state she couldn't grasp it. Nor could she remember anything by the time morning came.

She called these 'dreams' night terrors. They made her body stiff, and her jaw clenched tight. It was always hard to breathe, and impossible to speak or move.. Until she was jerked from her dreams, usually by tumbling from her bed onto the floor.

This night was no different.

——

Jez was caught in the tight grip of the night terrors, once again, and she whimpered softly trying desperately to see the man standing over her, grinning so wickedly. The only thing she could see were his awful outlined eyes, a deep jade color, set into a hateful glare. Trying to run from this man was like trying to not breathe. It was impossible.

Opening her mouth to scream, Jez was shoved from her bed and she hit the hardwood floor of her bedroom with a painful yelp.

"Oow," she moaned in pain clenching her teeth.

"Get up already, will ya?" The voice of Jerek, Jez's older adopted brother, rang in her ears and her eyes slid open still half-lidded and still hazy from sleep.

"What time is it?" Jez groaned and she rolled onto her stomach, stretching, not bothering to untangle her slender legs from the many quilts wrapped tightly around her form.

"Time for chores to begin.. Then you have ta cook dinner and disappear like ya never been born." Jerek scolded as he reached down and effortlessly yanked the quilts away from Jez.

"Why do I have to disappear?" Jez yawned as she stood brushing some hair away from her face.

"Cause the Pr-"

"Nice bed-head lazy bones!" Called Archer from Jez's doorway. Unlike his name, Archer was not a very good archer, he was quite terrible at it, and he was often teased about it. But he didn't mind, he was more of a Joker, rather, a _Jester. _

Jez picked up her pillow wagging it threateningly in her hand, a glare set on her face. "You wanna say that again, punk?!"

"Ya sure! Nice bed-hea—" The pillow slammed into Archer's face and Jez grinned widely.. Until Jerek punched her in the back of the head.

"Will ya get ta work woman! You only have so many hours before _he _gets here. If he finds ya yur as good as a cow bein' led ta the slaughterhouse." Jerek scolded again.

"_He _who?" Jez and Archer chorused.

With an irritated sigh Jerek punched both of his siblings in the back of the head. "Prince Gaara!"

* * *

**A/N: **Hehehe, a second note! xD Ok, so.. in case you didn't know I am putting Silhouette on hold until I get my brain back together. I know what I am going to do with it, and I have most of the next chapter written out, but I'm not feelin' that story right now. -sigh- and I love Taryn and Gaara to death! :D

But for now it's on hold, and to sate my rabid fans -hides from rabid fans- and my own imagination I am_ finally_ writing this which has been circling my head for **the longest** time now. Ugh.. so, anyways.. hope you like the prologue, and see you in Chapter One! :3


	2. Chapter One: Only I Can

"_He _who?" Jez and Archer chorused.

With an irritated sigh Jerek punched both of his siblings in the back of the head. "Prince Gaara!"

Jez stared at Jerek with a giant question mark on her face. Archer seemed to understand though and he turned Jez towards the door and shoved her out of her room.

"Oi, oi, oi!" She hissed stomping back into her room. "I am still in my nightgown here!"

Shoving both of her brothers from the room she slammed the door and leaned against it, her back pressed against the hardwood. Letting out a long sigh she slid to the floor and placed her face in her hands.

Why did the name Gaara ring a bell? Why did it feel like her entire body was screaming 'hide, hide, hide!'?

Well, hell if she knew, she didn't honestly care to remember. It was probably just something she'd overheard somewhere and that's why. It must be.. Since he was a Prince after all.

Getting changed and brushing her onyx hair, she pulled it back away from her face, tying it back at the base of her neck. Smiling she gently placed her hand over the jade stone hanging around her neck. In so many ways it made her feel safe, and yet at the same time every time she looked at it she felt an intense deep fear grip at her heart.

Why?

Because this stone was the same color as those hateful, glaring eyes that haunted her dreams.

"Jez!" Jerek's voice carried through the thin wooden door and she rolled her eye turning and opening the door.

"Aye, I'm here." Jerek opened his mouth to say something, but Jez just held up a hand as she slipped past him into the hallway. "I know, I know. I have to work like the Devil himself is at my heels. Goodness knows when the Prince will show up."

—

By late afternoon, Jez had the entire house cleaned, the food bought and almost fully prepared, when she heard a knock at the door. As usual she moved to leave the kitchen and answer the door but Jerek wrapped an arm around her waist, the other covering her mouth as he yanked her backwards.

"Shhh!" Jerek hissed in her ear. "He's here!"

Jez stood there frozen in the kitchen, with Jerek holding her against him, his grip tight.

"Ah, my Lord." The voice of their father rang in their ears as he greeted the Prince. "I see you have brought your siblings along. I welcome you to my home." The door closed as feet shuffled against the floor. "I would like you to meet my two sons. Jerek, Archer!"

Releasing his hold on Jez, Jerek put his finger to his lips and slipped out of the kitchen. Choosing to zone out on the rest of the conversation the girl decided to finish making dinner and leave it to Jerek and Archer to bring the food to their guests.

Her plans were slashed when she turned and found a sandy blonde staring at her from the doorway. "Oi, ya didn't tell us ya had a daughter." She said, her tone firm and slightly annoyed.

Stepping back Jez just stared at the woman, unsure of what to do. It was then that two males she didn't recognize stepped into the kitchen behind the sandy blonde. Both were taller than her and the blonde, but one had darker brown hair, while the other had bright red hair, and deep angry jade eyes.

Inhaling sharply, Jez stumbled back into their make-shift sink, her necklace gleaming in the light. The red-haired one's eyes widened, and he strode over to her, his movements smooth and fluent. If he didn't intimidate the crap out of her she thought he would have looked sexy.

His fist enclosed around the jade stone and he turned his eyes from it to her. "Where did you get this?" He commanded.

His voice sent a shiver down her spine; he had one hell of a sexy voice. It was low, and rumbly, hard and demanding. "U-uhm, I... I—"

"I will not ask again." The man said as his hateful jade eyes narrowed.

"It.. it was given to me." Jez said finally regaining her confidence to speak.

"Given to you?" The blonde woman laughed. "Gaara ain't that the necklace ya gave that little peasant girl who promised herself to ya?"

"What? No!" Jez argued. "This is... It's mine!"

Without a word Gaara yanked the necklace from her neck and the chain snapped. He clenched it in his fist and turned away.

Jez, angry, grabbed onto his arm and pulled the necklace back. "Give that back!"

Gaara turned so fast bringing his hand around he backhanded her across the face and sent her sprawling to the floor. "Wench, you had best learn your place."

Clutching the necklace to her chest, Jez turned her face to Gaara and glared, tears on her cheeks. "No girl would ever want to be promised to you.. You're a cruel bastard."

"What did you just—" The blonde began but Gaara held up a hand glaring down at Jez, who had not yet turned her angry face away. "What—"

"She's coming with us." Was Gaara's only response as he turned from the kitchen and walked out of the house.

Before any of them had any idea what was happening Jez was seated in the carriage that brought the three of the strangers to her home. The only home she'd known, and she was not happy about it. Glaring out the small window, she refused to speak, and refused to talk to or acknowledge that there were three other people in the carriage other than her. Nothing bad happened until they were almost at the castle like structure where the royal family resided.

"Ya got a pretty lil' thing, don't ya Gaara?" The brown haired male, that Jez now knew as Kankuro, spoke up. He was sitting across from Jez, and she refused to look at any of them.

The only response to Kankuro's question was an uninterested grunt, and Jez had to resist the temptation to snort and roll her eyes. Kankuro chuckled and reached forward grabbing a strand of her onyx hair and ran it through his fingers.

"Don't touch me." Jez hissed jerking back away from him with her eyes narrowed.

"Mouthy too. A bit too headstrong." Temari, the blonde, noted with a hint of amusement in her tone.

"Heh, I wonder if she's a virgin." Kankuro said and grabbed one of Jez's legs pulling her towards him, making her slump down in the seat.

"H-hey!" Jez cried out in alarm, struggling to sit back up. Kankuro grabbed the edge of her dress pulling it up. "NO! Don't look!"

Before Kankuro was able to get near her panties he got a swift kick in the face as Jez's other foot came up knocking him right in the chin. Blushing madly Jez straightened herself up, and clamped her legs together holding her dress down.

"You little—!" Kankuro went to hit her when Gaara grabbed Kankuro's wrist before it touched Jez. Both Temari and Kankuro were startled by this action and just looked at him, as his grip on Kankuro tightened.

"No one is to touch her but me." Releasing his brothers' wrist Gaara stood and exited the now stopped carriage. Without looking back he addressed Jez, his voice low and daring her to disobey. "Come."

* * *

**A/N:** Okay so I probably should have said this before in the previous chapter (in meh little A/N) but I forgot so I'm going to say it now. This is graphic, and for mature audiences only. If you don't like it then I sincerely apologize, but that's the way it is. It will contain cursing (as always), and sexual content not suited for immature pricks. So if you're going to hate mail me or something then just don't even bother cause I'll post the hate mail in a chapter at the beginning. There is a reason this is marked 'M' so don't think it's like before (in my other stories) with a little F-Bomb here and there. No, this is explicit, and will be in detail. My reasons are my own and for this story it has to be that way. Why? Because it's the way it was written in my head and I'm not going to change it for immature people. So, I hope you enjoy this story and I hope you will learn to love Jez as much as I have. XD

Thanks for payin' attention~ See ya next chappie!!! Remember my lovelies~ R&R&R!! (Read, Review, and Recommend!!) :D


	3. Chapter Two: Are You Standing In My Way?

"No one is to touch her but me." Releasing his brothers' wrist Gaara stood and exited the now stopped carriage. Without looking back he addressed Jez, his voice low and daring her to disobey. "Come."

Not wanting to be in the same place as the pervert Kankuro, Jez jumped out of the carriage and gladly followed the bad-tempered one. In all honesty she'd rather be with the one who hit her than one who would take her by force.

With her face still flushed a deep crimson she looked down, following Gaara, her hands tightly clasped on the bottom of her dress as if she was holding it down. Since her eyes were on the ground she didn't see Gaara stop and she accidentally bumped into him.

"A-ah, I'm so—" Her words were cut off as Gaara's hand connected with her cheek sending her crashing into the wall. Instantly her hand was on her throbbing cheek, and tears had filled her eyes; yes, she was usually a strong girl and she never let anything effect her but he hit hard!

"Watch where you're going." Was the only thing he said before he turned like nothing happened and continued down the hallway.

In shock, Jez just continued to stand there like an idiot with her hand on her bruising cheek. What pissed her off was not the fact that he'd hit her _twice, _but both times on the same cheek! And now her right cheek had a huge purple blotch from where he'd hit her and it _ached _so badly!

"Oi, kid."

The voice made Jez turn her head only to duck down a bit as the blonde, Temari, placed her hand on top of Jez's head. "Try not to condemn the idiots." She offered a small smile and Jez just stared at her. "Well, try not to condemn Gaara. Kankuro.. He's just.. Well, he's just himself. He's like that condemn him all you want, but Gaara.." Her voice trailed off as she watched her youngest brothers figure vanish down the dimly lit hallway. "He's had it rough. Give 'im a chance."

Blinking her discolored eyes, Jez, frowned staring at Temari. "Lady Te—"

"Just Temari, kay? I'm not into the whole Lady thing. Kinda pisses me off actually!" The strong woman laughed. "C'mon. I'll put ointment on your bruise then take you down to Gaara's room. That's where he wants ya I bet. If not he can show ya where ta stay. 'Til then you're stuck with me."

It was at that moment Jez decided she liked Temari. A lot. She could get along with the blonde, hopefully, and spend more time with her than she had to spend with Gaara. The prick.

——

In Temari's room Jez sat on one of the many plush stools waiting for Temari to come back with the ointment for her throbbing cheek. Glancing in the mirror, Jez noticed with a start that half of her face looked like it had been painted purple!

Angrily she glared in the mirror, and as she clenched her fists she felt the jade stone necklace with a broken chain in her fist and she opened her hand staring down at the beautiful stone. The conversation from earlier that evening spun in her mind repeating itself over and over making her think on how she had come to own such a beautiful and rare stone.

_"Why're you crying?" // "What? I'm not crying!" // "Are you ok? You look sad.." // "No.. you're the one who looks sad.. Hey! I like your bear~"_

Blinking Jez shook her head hearing fragments of conversation in her head. Where did that come from? One of the voices sounded like her own as a child, but who's voice was the other one? Before she was able to further try and analyze the voice Temari emerged from her bathroom and set down the ointment in front of the onyx haired girl.

"Here, I'll do it." The Princess said pulling up another stool in front of Jez's own.

"But I can—"

"No.. let me do it." Temari insisted, so Jez just nodded once and turned her face, and moved her hair out of the way so Temari could see it. "Jesus!" Temari inhaled sharply looking at the giant purple blotch.

"What?" Jez inclined her head with a confused look on her pale face.

"Your face! It's..!"

"I know." Jez sighed. "It kind of hurts and I don't mean to sound rude but can you please hurry.. I don't want the other side of my face to match this one."

Temari nodded and opened the ointment just as her bedroom door was opened. Jez didn't even have to turn and look to know who it was, she could _feel _the angry glare on her.

"Girl, get up." Gaara said, with narrowed eyes.

"Gaara, did you see her face? She needs—" Temari tried but Gaara rudely cut her off.

"I don't care." He walked over and grabbed Jez by the arm yanking her up. The sudden movement made the necklace slip from her fingers.

"Hey—!"

"I did not give you permission to leave my sight." Gaara's voice was far beyond angry and intimidating, but Jez didn't care at this point...she was not going to lose _her _necklace.

Jerking herself away from him she scooped up the necklace cradling it close to her chest, not willing to lose it. She wanted to know the mystery behind it, how she got it and if it was true that the beast in front of her was the one who had given it to her on the promise of her belonging to him.

"Gaara, just let me at least making it easier for her to heal!" Temari said stepping in front of Jez.

"No." Gaara said, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Are you stepping in my way?" Voice low and dangerous he stepped closer to his sister who backed up a half step.

"N.. no, Gaara." She said shifting her position giving Jez an apologetic look.

Jez just smiled softly shaking her head a bit, moving to Gaara as he once again grabbed her yanking her after him. His silence, she noted, was a hell of a lot scarier than his words. For in the silence no one could tell what he was thinking since his face was so emotionless, his deep eyes blank.

"M.. my Lord—"

"Do not speak unless spoken to, wench." Gaara interrupted not caring to actually listen to what she was saying.

A bit disgruntled, Jez clenched her jaw fighting back the words she so desperately wanted to spit at him. She had morals though.. And she wanted to keep every part of her body un-bruised as long as possible.


	4. Chapter Three: You Dare Strike Me?

"Do not speak unless spoken to, wench." Gaara interrupted not caring to actually listen to what she was saying.

A bit disgruntled, Jez clenched her jaw fighting back the words she so desperately wanted to spit at him. She had morals though.. And she wanted to keep every part of her body un-bruised as long as possible.

Once in his room, which was quite obvious that it was his, he let go of her arm practically throwing her to the floor. Staring up at him, her hand clenched so tightly her knuckles were white, she expected him to say something, point out where she was supposed to go, or what she was supposed to do. Instead he just stood there staring down at her for a fraction of a second before he turned towards a closed door to the right of his huge bed.

Using a key from inside one of his pockets he unlocked the door and swung it open. The hinges sounded so old it squeaked loudly, until the door stopped opening. Lightning a candle, with still no word to Jez, Gaara stepped into the room and lit the solitary lantern on a small block of wood, which she later figured was a chair. The room was small, no windows and only one door. A small bed made of, ironically, straw and pieces of hay with an ugly quilted blanket thrown over it. There was a lumpy pillow at the end with a real blanket folded beside it.

Turning to Jez, Gaara finally spoke, "You now sleep there; if you leave without my permission there will be consequences'. Disobey me again and there will be consequences'. This is your only warning."

Jez stared at Gaara then to the room with a look on her face that clearly said he was crazy; not moving from where she landed on the floor she blinked slowly not speaking.

This silence seemed to anger the Prince for he grabbed a large clump of her hair yanking him closer to her. A yelp of pain escaped her lips as both of her hands flew to his one in her hair. Gripping his hand tightly she tried to pull his hand from her locks of onyx hair, only to make it even more painful for herself.

"L.. let go!" she whimpered softly, pain shooting down her spine.

"You are not in a position to tell me what to do." He replied clenching his hand further pulling back slightly on the thin fragile strands.

Jez cried out her fingernails digging into his skin; her eyes clamped shut, and she was up on her knees head slightly inclined backwards to relieve herself of the pain. It worked for a millisecond. Breathing through her clenched teeth she ignored the tears sliding down her face, clenching her left hand tighter so the metal around the jade stone in her hand pressed against his.

With narrowed eyes Gaara released her hair and she fell forward; her usually sleek hair pulled back into a ponytail, was now mussed and falling over her face like a curtain. Tears dripping from her cheeks fell onto her hands as she stared down at the stone in her palm.

"It couldn't have been you." She murmured softly.

"What?" Jade eyes stared down, no emotion reflected in the hateful hues.

"You were not the one who gave me this!" Jez nearly screamed waving the jade stone at him. "The one who gave me this was kind. You're an abusive _monster_!"

It seemed as if the last word she spat at him had an effect on him, when no other word could. Enraged that she called him a monster he backhanded her for the third time sending her crashing against his wooden floor. The necklace slipped from her fingers and rolled under his massive bed, but Jez did not move to get it back.

Her frail body lay motionless on the floor, the only indication of life was her chest moving ever so slightly with every breath she took. Resisting the nearly overwhelming urge to strangle the unconscious woman where she lay Gaara lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Even though he hated her, despised her, loathed her very existence, he couldn't help but notice how light her body was. How frail she really was in comparison to his strong sister, and to every other woman he'd encountered.

Grunting in dissatisfaction her dropped her on the bed made of straw and left her there not bothering to cover her up. Turning, he left the tiny room and closed the door locking it, leaving the key in it to remind himself that someone was actually in there.

——

"I hate him." Jez murmured softly to herself as she sat in the dank, tiny little room he'd locked her in. Yes, after she woke up some hours ago she'd tried to the door only to discover it was locked. The lantern had not much fuel to begin with so now it was flickering in and out, in and out. Over and over giving her brief periods of complete darkness.

It was not that she was afraid of the dark, it was the things in the dark that she could not see that she feared.

When she was a child, her first year in the care of her adopted father her elder brothers, Jerek and Archer, decided to have a little fun. Locking the poor five year old child in a closet, the boys ran off leaving her there, though they intended to go back and let her out. They had gotten distracted and forgot about her.

While there, locked in an old broom closet with no light to sooth her, Jez swore she had seen something, a spirit or something close to it.

Later that night they'd found her again, hearing her crying and screaming, banging on the door of the closet. Her hands had many splinters in them, and they were bloody, but after that Jez could not deal with the dark, or being alone in the dark.

Sitting there, now, on her little bed made of straw, she took a deep breath, and let it out slowly trying to fight the knot of anxiety building in her chest. Wrapping her arms around her legs she buried her face against her knees forcing herself to breathe, and think of other things than the darkness pressing in around her, suffocating her.

Oddly enough the only thing she could think about was Gaara. The way he looked, the way he smelt (which was an odd smell, metallic and musky with some other weird scent), the way his voice was smooth yet rough and demanding. He was definitely very masculine; she could feel his muscles through his thin white top, his broad shoulders and strong arms. Sexy.

Whoa. Hold up. She did _not_ just think he was sexy...did she? Running over everything about him once again she realized that she not only thought he was sexy, but alluring. Extremely alluring more so to the point where it was an impossibility to be that wanted, and that sexy. There was either something very wrong with her, or very wrong with him.

She chose to think something was wrong with him.

"_Aaah!_"

The sudden sound jerked Jez from her thoughts and she sat up straight looking towards where she thought the wooden door was.

_"Gaara-sama!_" The voice was clearly female, and it had an edge to it. Something Jez couldn't place. "_Nngh.. No! Aahnn.. Not there!!_"

A blush spread over her cheeks when she realized what was going on in the room connected to hers and she placed her hands over her ears. She didn't want to hear that!

——

Hours passed before the sounds went away. The _moaning _and the _grunts._ It was disgusting, yet it made Jez feel lonely. She was seventeen years old, she should be married with at least two children of her own by now. God knows she wasn't going to live past 30. No one did.

Just as the depression was beginning to tear her apart from the inside out...the lock clicked. Turning her gaze upwards towards it she saw a tall masculine silhouette shroud the doorway.

"Get up." The gruff voice belonged to the man she grew to loathe from the deepest darkest depths of her soul.

Slowly, Jez unfolded herself stretching her legs out as she stood keeping her eyes downcast, not looking at him afraid of what she might see.

"Come." His tone of voice was one she recognized, it was the tone that commanded she obey, yet dared her to disobey. Three hits was enough for one day, so she, reluctantly, obeyed walking forward, shuffling her feet. "_Now._" Grabbing her roughly he pulled her to him, and not being on her feet in hours made her stumble.

Right into his bare chest.

Her cheeks flushed darkly and she flinched waiting for the hit to come, but it never came. Cracking open her eyes looking up at him she noticed the dark smirk cross his lips...he knew she was afraid of him, and that just made her blood being to boil.

Opening her mouth to snap at him, he rudely cut her off before she began. "It is time for you to wash my back."

_Huh?_

Jez just stared at him, numbly following him down the hallways to a room with a large tub in it already filled with almost scalding water. Dropping the towel Jez hadn't noticed him wearing he stepped into the water and she knelt down beside the tub a bar of soap and a sponge in her hand.

Naked men didn't bother her. Not in the least bit. When she was younger and the only female in the house it was her duty to wash her brothers backs, her father had always refused with a smile.

Now, she didn't even see anything but his bare back so it was no trouble for her. Wetting the soap and the sponge she leaned up on her knees and began to scrub his back, at first gently settling into a sort of calm daze.

That didn't last long.

Moments after she began rinsing the suds from his back he turned slightly and threw water at her. "Do it again. Your filthy hands have gotten me dirty again." His voice was cold, but not angry. He was taunting her!

Enraged Jez gritted her teeth and wet the sponge and soap again. "As you command, _My Lord._" She hissed.

This time she was not so gentle. She was rough, pressing hard against his skin, rubbing it raw. It was the not the best choice for her to make; she soon found herself in the tub with him her head held under the hot water. Moments later she came up sputtering and coughing pushing the hair from her eyes and wiping at her face.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" She growled angrily glaring at him, hardly noticing the position she was in.

"You'd make a terrible wife." He remarked ignoring her question.

Blinded now by a burning rage she slapped him, hard, across the face. While he sat there in the tub a look of barely noticeable shock on his face she stood and hopped out of the tub, her entire body sopping wet.

"I hope you choke and die you heartless bastard." Jez snarled glaring at him hatefully. She didn't show it but it hurt to hear him, a _male,_ say that to her. Turning from him she stomped away, her face flushed with anger, her tears brimming with moisture.

Needless to say she didn't get very far. Gaara caught up to her rather quickly, a towel wrapped around his waist, a red mark outlined on his pale cheek in the shape of a small hand.

"You _dare_ strike me, wretch?" He snarled his anger clear in his eyes, in his expression and tone of voice, even in the way he held himself exposed the level of his fury.

"Yes. I _dare._" She spoke with her head held high.

Roughly grabbing her chin Gaara turned her face to him so she was looking directly at him. "Lay on finger on me again, bitch, and you will _never_ see the light of day _again._"


	5. Chapter Four: I Told You

Roughly grabbing her chin Gaara turned her face to him so she was looking directly at him. "Lay one finger on me again, bitch, and you will _never_ see the light of day _again._"

"Go ahead. It's not like I'm going to marry anyone _now_." Leveling her gaze she narrowed her eyes. "I'm stuck with you. An arrogant, spoiled, abusive, ignorant prick. And you know what?" She continued, ignoring the growing sense of dread in the pit of her stomach, "You tore me away from the only life I knew so it's not like anyone would exactly know if I vanished would they?"

"Woman," the enraged Prince began but Jez wouldn't hear it.

"No. Stop talking. All you've done since I got here was boss me around and treat me like dirt!" Her entire body was screaming at her to stop but she was so **mad**, so upset at what he had said and what he had done to her, she thought nothing could be worse. "The only reason you have girls around you is because you have a nice body. Your personality sucks ass. You're a jerk, a horrible person and there is no damn excuse for the way you treat people!"

Panting, red faced with fury Jez finally stopped talking searching Gaara's face for some type of emotion, but he remained stoic, no type of expression at all. And his silence dragged on for what seemed like minutes when it was only a few seconds of silence.

Then the corners of his lips twitched up into a sort of twisted smirk smile mix. A shiver rolled down Jez's spine and she could not find words to explain how she was feeling.

"You, _girl, _are not too bad. Perhaps I was wrong." He straightened and released his hold on her, the weird look still on his face. "I will keep you around a while longer—" his expression changed then into one of complete seriousness "—but if you ever pull _anything _like this again," He paused, drawing out the tension making Jez's heart nearly stop, "I will kill you. With my bare hands."

* * *

After Gaara walked away Jez's shaking legs gave out from underneath her and she slid down against the wall her heart beating a mile a minute. She had never been so _brainless_, so scared in her entire life. The only thing she could think of was the feeling of fear that engulfed her when he spoke. The chilling way the words flowed from his mouth, the complete seriousness in his eyes, and the creepy smirk on his lips.

It was obvious that he was planning something, she knew that much, she just didn't know what. Reaching for her jade necklace her eyes widened at only feeling her bare skin. Where was the stone?

Frantically she searched her clothes, and the ground around her. Nothing. Almost in a panic she raced into the bathroom to find it empty, nothing there either. Where was her necklace? The only thing that made her safe, reminded her of home and it was gone! Where?

With a sudden realization she straightened and glanced at the bathroom door. There was only one place left for the necklace to be. _His _room. Swallowing nervously, a new sense of apprehension filled her, making a knot form in her chest, clutching tightly to her heart with every step she took closer to the demons lair. Peeking into the slightly cracked open door she spotted no one inside, so taking a deep breathe she pushed open the door and scurried inside.

Wasting no time she began her search. Only once was she in this room and she just happened to be on the floor. She began the search there, under his bedside stand, under his old wooden dresser, under the bed. It was nowhere to be found. Sitting on his floor, her hair a tangled mess she felt so lost and alone, so ready to cry, so ready to give up when something caught her eye.

Glinting across the room, hanging from the doorknob was the previously broken chain to her necklace, and the stone gleamed, unharmed, from the end of it. A sigh of relief escaped her lips and she grasped the cool, smooth stone in her hand, softly running her fingers over it.

"Found what you're looking for?"

The sudden voice startled her, and she jumped, spinning around clutching the necklace tightly to her chest. But it wasn't who she expected it to be; it wasn't Gaara. It was his brother.

Kankuro.

"Wh.. What're you doing in here?" Jez said straightening herself, her hold still iron on that necklace.

"I can be wherever I like. It is you who is sneaking around, not me." Kankuro smirked advancing towards her, looking her up and down then back again. "Looks like you had a nice bath." He snickered.

A deep blush spread high across her cheeks which caused Jez to cross her arms over her chest. Since she had been soaked, her clothes stuck to her body leaving little to the imagination. "That's none of your business." She snapped angrily.

"You, my dear, are in no position to tell me what to do. Besides.. I owe you for the bruise you gave me." Kankuro's smirk turned menacing and dark.

"Wha..no." Jez murmured pressing her back flush against the door.

"Oh, I believe you owe me." He said, obviously amused. "It's not like you can say no to me. You are a peasant, I am a Prince. You do what I say regardless."

"No!" She cried in alarm.

"Oh, yes." Kankuro laughed reaching for her.

Smacking his hand away she turned and grabbed the doorknob and yanked, but it was locked... What?!

"Clever girl." Kankuro grinned pressing his body against hers pushing her against the door. "But I am more clever."

"Nngh.. No!" Jez hissed pushing against the door, but he was strong, really strong.

"You won't be saying that for long." He snickered.

Jez felt his hand slide up her thigh towards her damp dress and she squirmed against the door and him. When she felt something grow hard behind her she stilled, frozen to the spot.

"Oh, don't stop now." Kankuro teased.

"No, please." Jez begged, helplessly, unable to move. Both of her hands were pinned between her stomach and the door in an uncomfortable way.

"Don't be so sad, love. It'll be great. I promise."

"Get OFF me!" Jez shrieked, her chest tightening in fear.

"I don't think I will." His hand slid up further, his finger dipping into the elastic band on the top of her panties and the first tear fell down her cheek.

"No...please..." She whimpered.

Clamping her eyes shut she waited for it to happen, for _something_ to happen but all she felt was a sudden burst of air and her knees hit the floor. Soon after a crash was heard and she turned her head seeing, through blurry eyes, Kankuro lying on his back on top of the now crushed dresser.

"I told you...I am the only one who lays a finger on her."

Jez would recognize that voice anywhere, and though fear began to make her throat tighten, she felt a sense of relief. He'd saved her from something far more terrifying than a death threat. Well, to her anyway.

She didn't know how to feel, what to think, or what to do. She just sat on the floor staring at both of them, sensing Gaara's fury and Kankuro's undeniable fear.

"Touch that girl again, and it will be the last time you do anything."

Out of all the things Jez could have done, cried, yelled, or even screamed, she did none of those. She began to laugh, with frightened tears still rolling down her cheeks. Startled both men turned to look at her curled into a ball with her arms wrapped tightly around herself; she was laughing and crying at the same time.

Turning her face towards them she tilted her head to the side and shook it once before the laughter stopped, her expression falling back to one of fear, then confusion and finally ending at an emotionless stare. Kankuro took this moment to take off, leaving Gaara and Jez alone.

"Why did you laugh? What, exactly, did you find so hysterical?" His voice cut through her thoughts, but she couldn't think, she couldn't answer him.

"I want to go home."

* * *

**A/N: **SORRY!! I am soooo sorry it took me too long to post another chapter! -wails in despair- I got caught up in college and it was a mess!! Forgive me? I certainly hope so. I have about six days left of my very short semester break before I go back to the summer semester. But this time I plan to update all of my stories on a regular basis. :)

Poor, poor little Jez. Her day went from horrible to worse and I'm afraid it doesn't get much better from here. I have twisted surprises and shocking truths laid out in this story! It'll be amazing.. you'll hate me and love me at the same time. Great right?! xD Well, I hope you enjoyed this chappie, but I have got to go. Even in my vaca I still have to get up at the ass crack of dawn for four days. Lovely. Leaves me two to rest myself before I go back to college. Hope y'all have a good night and I shall see you next chappie!! Remember: R&R&R!! :3


	6. Chapter Five: Sasuke

"Why did you laugh? What, exactly, did you find so hysterical?" His voice cut through her thoughts, but she couldn't think, she couldn't answer him.

"I want to go home."

* * *

Since that day, Jez counted being in his home for two weeks. A horrible fourteen days, and she hadn't seen Gaara once. After he left her sitting in his room she hadn't seen him at all. A list had been left for her on the first day, a list of duties to do by the days end. She had to make his bed, clean his clothes, make his meals and clean up after him, but never be around when he is eating. She was not allowed to go in the room across from his, it was off limits and always locked.

Wiping her hands on her apron from cleaning his lunch dishes she got out some meat going to let it thaw until it was time for her to prepare his dinner. Then she left a note to the others who she knew were there. They'd gotten used to Jez so it wasn't any surprise that no one touched any of the food she made or used.

Once everything was done in their kitchen she turned and went back to the room she had grown accustomed to living in. Sitting upon the small bed she let herself relax for a minute and closed her eyes.

She could not have made a bigger mistake.

As soon as her head touched the pillow she felt like she was falling backwards. Her entire body tensed, her head was spinning. These dreams always struck her at the most inopportune time.

The darkness of her closed eyes soon turned to the dank, dark hallways of this medieval castle and she was alone. Glancing both ways she really realized that she was completely alone, but it wasn't too bad, she still had her necklace. Clutching the stone in her hand she took a calming breath and began walking down the corridor. Everything looked the same and at first she thought she was getting somewhere until she looked up and saw that the hallway was stretching away from her.

"H.. hey!" She cried out and began to run towards the end, which only made it go faster. Her chest tightened in fear, and she pushed herself to go faster, but she took one more step and the ground fell away form her.

Out of instinct she reached for something to hang onto as a scream echoed around her. Looking down at where she was falling to was a mistake. Unlike the end of the corridor which never got any closer, the bottom of the pit was coming up towards her and fast. Panicking she tried to scream again but found her voice gone. The second before she hit the ground her eyes snapped open.

Drenched in sweat, and now lying on the floor of her room, Jez glanced around in the darkness. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest and her throat had closed up. Sitting up she placed a hand on her chest to try and calm herself, but she was having a panic attack. Her breaths came out short, fast and labored, as hard as she tried to calm down only made it worse. Thoughts kept circling her mind, what if she couldn't stop herself? Her breathing would be completely cut off and she could die of suffocation! Those thoughts made it even harder to breathe, not helping was the fact that she had begun to cry from fear.

"Hey.." A soothing voice spoke. "Calm down.." The voice was so gentle, and calming.

"I.. I-I c..can't..." Jez gasped looking around for the voice.

"Yes you can.. Come now. Take a slow breathe. Calm yourself. You're not alone anymore you will be fine.." The voice cooed at her, but still she couldn't see who it was.

Still she knew the voice was right. She wasn't alone, someone was here with her. She could calm down, she had to, she had things to do. Eventually her breaths evened out, and she wiped at the tears.

"Good job. I knew you could do it." The voice said, and then a light was shined on her in the darkness. Squinting against the light Jez shaded her eyes from the brightness.

"W-who..?"

"The one who saved your life." A figure stepped in front of the light, but still she squinted.

A tall person, male voice, tough build...no one she recognized. Finally she managed a small nod, "Thank you."

"You're very welcome."

Jez could hear the smile in his voice, which only made her smile in return. "How did you find me? Not that I'm ungrateful.."

"I heard your scream and came to investigate." The man said extending a hand.

Jez realized that she was still sitting on the floor and her cheeks grew hot as she grasped his hand. "Well... Uhm, thank you. I am really glad that you helped me."

"It is my pleasure. I do enjoy helping damsels in distress." He laughed.

Jez smiled sheepishly. "Oh, I.. I'm not a damsel.."

"Oh, but you are."

Jez blinked a bit shocked, her heart thudding in her chest. "I—"

Before she was able to say much of anything the door to _his _room opened and Jez looked towards it, her body freezing. She'd be in so much trouble if Gaara found some strange man in her room. Turning to the man again she discovered that she was alone. With a gasp she turned around and around looking for him, but her room was so small there was no place he could hide. Where did he go?

"Girl," Gaara's gruff voice came from her doorway and she turned to look at him, still confused and wondering if she had dreamed the strange man up. "You are preparing dinner for more than myself tonight."

"How many?" Jez had learned to mask anything she was feeling and make her voice just as empty and void as his own.

"Five."

And with that he left her alone again. Those were the first words those two had exchanged since she'd voiced her desire to go back home. With a shake of her head she quickly ran a brush through her hair, pulled it back away form her face and headed out to the kitchen. No one else was in there so, as she figured, she'd have to prepare a meal for five.

It wasn't too hard for her considering she grew up with two brothers and a father, making that three added with her as four. Meals like that were easy, so she began to make something simple.

First a beef stew that she had learned the recipe of while she lived at home. It contained nice thick chunks of beef with steamed carrots and cooked potatoes, along with bits of chopped onions. As it cooked she added salt and pepper for flavor and a pinch of parsley. Jez let that simmer and thicken while she made a salad, and then prepared the main dish: smoked salmon.

It didn't take her too long to prepare everything individually but she had to make sure the ale was at a temperature that was perfect, she had to stir the stew occasionally, and then came the salmon she had to keep a close eye on. If it was not perfect, she had no doubt that she'd be beat on like an old punching bag.

The usually time it took her to make a meal for one she had to make a meal for five, a royal family, but it was no trouble. She had it all finished by the time the servers came to bring the food to the table. She was exhausted. With the horrid dream still fresh in her mind, she slumped in a chair, her hair a tangled mess, her hands red and raw from scrubbing dishes and cleaning counters, along with a few burns from when she was over the stove.

When all the food was brought to the table one of the servers, Melony, came up to Jez and smiled softly. "The King wants you to serve the ale."

"Wh.. What?" Jez gasped in shock. Had she done something he did not approve of? How could she have, though, she hadn't ever seen him before.

"He asked for you specifically. He knows everyone who resides here." Melony bowed once and scurried away.

Grunting, Jez stood and grabbed the ale straightening herself. Then she lowered her gaze to the ground and walked from the kitchen into the dining hall and made her way to the end of the table where the King sat. To his right was Kankuro, to his left was Temari, and next to Kankuro sat Gaara. What Jez noticed was that there was no mother figure, and Gaara looked miserable. Where was the fifth person?

Ignoring all of them Jez walked to the King's side and bowed. "Would you like some ale, my Lord?" she asked softly aware that all of them were staring at her.

"I would." He said with a smirk. With a swift nod Jez poured his ale, and moved on to the others at the table, slightly hesitating over Gaara. "Thank you, dear." The king said and waved for her to stand to the side.

Jez did so, the ale bottle in her hand, her eyes facing the ground.

"My children," The king began after a sip of his ale. "We have a new addition to the estate. He is the son of a friend of mine. Unfortunately both of his parents died in an accident so he is coming to live here as the last request of his late parents."

There was a long silence between them all. No one said anything for a while until Jez was ushered over for more ale. Then she retreated back to the wall where she stood in silence once again. Why had she been asked to do this? Why was she the one requested to serve the ale? She wasn't anyone special.

The silence was cut short when the king stood and walked over to one of the far dining hall doors. "You may come in now, Sasuke."

A tall man with jet black hair and deep dark almost black eyes followed the king into the room and took his place next to Temari, across from Gaara. "My dear," the king addressed Jez and she straightened walking closer. "will you be a good girl and get our guest a plate?"

"Of course, My Lord." Jez bowed and quickly moved into the kitchen getting a plate and filled it with the food she had prepared. Carrying it in one had with the ale in the other she walked to Sasuke and set the plate down in front of him. "Would you care for some ale, Sir?"

"I would. Thank you." His voice was smooth, very soothing to hear.

For a moment Jez was frozen to the floor, unable to move, unable to breathe. Then she shook the feeling away and filled his mug before she was dismissed. Once in the kitchen Jez nearly dropped the ale and had to brace herself on the counter.

That man...was the one in her room!!

* * *

**A/N:** Buwah hahahahahahahaha!!! I am sooo evil! I LOVE ME! :D ...*ahem* okay... so Sasuke was the one who saved Jez from a horrid nightmare and a devastating panic attack. Hohoho, what is this going to do to the plooooot? XD You will never knooow!! Until.. well, the next chapter of course!

Oh, and I have to shout out to the **one and only person** who has reviewed on _every single chapter_ in this fic! My faithful reviewer: _Gaaras1Girl_!! YAY! Congrats love! You are officially on meh list of favorite people.. cause you're one of the only people who have the courtesy to tell me how you feel about meh story! ^w^

Hehe.. on that note, I must go. I have another fic to update then I have to get back to this one once again. I told you that I would update regularly so I am. :) Hope you liked this chappie and, again, don't forget: R&R&R!!!


	7. Chapter Six: Broken

Once the family was finished with their meal, Jez went back into the large dining hall and began to clean up. Piling the plates up she went back into the kitchen, put the plates in the wash bin so she could wash them; when she went back into the dining hall Sasuke was standing there.

"I didn't know anyone else was still in here." She said softly moving quickly past him to the table. She didn't make it there though, as his hand closed around her forearm. "Did you need something, Sir?" She asked turning slightly to look at him.

"Your name." He said. For a second, Jez thought she saw something unfamiliar flash in his dark eyes but quickly dismissed it at nothing.

"Jez." She replied shortly.

"That's an unusual name." Sasuke remarked.

"I.. I guess." She muttered trying to pull her arm away from him but he wouldn't let go. "Uh, not to be rude but I have chores to do..."

"Ah," Sasuke released his hold but he did not stop staring at her.

Feeling increasingly awkward Jez walked backwards until she felt the table behind her. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Not particularly." He mused a smirk crossing his lips. "Were you the one who made the meal?"

"I am." Jez replied as she tried to focus on cleaning up instead of the creepy feeling she got as he stared at her. It felt like his eyes were boring holes into her back and it made her shiver. Turning around with the glasses in hand she cried out and stumbled back the glasses falling and shattering on the ground.

He was right behind her! How'd he get there so fast? With her heart pounding in her chest she knelt down to the ground and picked up the pieces of broken glass, her hands shaking.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke chuckled, "I didn't mean to frighten you."

"It's fine." Jez murmured shortly placing the broken shards in the small apron she wore, walking past him into the kitchen.

Unfortunately for her, he followed.

With a sigh she threw the shards away and faced him. "Look, I don't mean to be rude, but I have things to do and I can't do them with you.."

"With me what?" Sasuke rose an eyebrow leaning against the counter.

"With you hovering over me." She turned back to the wash bin and started washing the dirty dishes. "I mean no disrespect."

"It's fine.. I understand."

A chill went down her spine as she felt his breathe on the back of her neck with every word he spoke. He slid his hands around her and also placed his hands in the water placing his hands over hers, his body flush against hers. Her heart skipped a beat, her body stilling. She didn't know how to react to this.

The door opened which caused him to break away from her and they both turned to face a glaring Gaara. He didn't have to speak, his eyes demanding an answer to an unasked question. Feeling heat in her cheeks Jez just went back to the dishes trying to ignore both men.

Sasuke smirked at Gaara, leaning against the counter directly next Jez. A growl made it's way past Gaara's lips and he moved over to Jez grabbing her by the shoulders and turning her to face him.

"A-ah.. Hey!" Jez widened her eyes.

"What were you doing, girl?" Gaara commanded his voice low and dangerous.

Before Jez had a chance to answer Sasuke cut in stepping towards them. "She has a name, you know."

"S...Sasuke-sama..." She whispered in disbelief. A lord was defending her?

"It is none of your business." Gaara snapped standing straight releasing Jez.

"It is, since now I live here." Sasuke's smirk widened.

"It is still _my _home, not yours." Gaara retorted and Jez could feel the anger and tension rising.

"It _is _my home. Since today."

"It will **never** be your home." Gaara growled. "You should have died with your parents."

Sasuke's eyes darkened and he moved to strike at Gaara. "No!" Jez moved in front of Gaara spreading her arms out as if protecting him and she got hit instead. He didn't hit as hard as Gaara but he still hit pretty damn hard and she stumbled back from the force. Tears instinctively came to her eyes from the sting, but she didn't cry. She was over that, and believed she'd shed enough tears for anyone.

"Wha..?"

Both men were shocked but Jez stared at Sasuke her gaze firm, a slight bruise already forming on her face. "You can't...I won't let you hit him."

"But he.." Sasuke scoffed and frowned, glaring once more at Gaara before he stormed out of the kitchen.

Gaara stood there for a moment, his expression unreadable. "You're an idiot. I don't need protection from you." And he turned to leave.

"I know." Jez sighed going back to her chores.

——

_Jez stood in the park, a small place for children to play...a place she hadn't been since she was a child. Looking around she saw that she was closer to the ground than she remembered, and glancing at her hands she realized she was in her child body._

_Oddly he couldn't control her body either, it was as if she was reliving something that happened in the past with no way to change anything. She was walking through the park wiping at her eyes and sniffling, until she just sat down on a broken bench._

_"Hey...why are you crying?"_

_Turning to the voice Jez shook her head, frowning, noticing a small boy the same age as her standing there. "What? I'm not crying." She said stubbornly, and then looking more closely at the boy she thought she recognized him from somewhere._

_"Are you ok?" He asked sitting down next to her, clutching a tattered and worn brown bear to his chest. "You look sad."_

_"No.. you're the one who looks sad." Jez retorted, again wiping at her eyes. "Hey...I like your bear."_

_The boy smiled and squeezed the bear. "What's your name?" He asked._

_"I'm Jez." The young girl nodded. "And yours?"_

_"It's Gaara."_

_Inside her own body Jez jolted with recognition. The same deep red hair, the same jade eyes, but they were different. His eyes were soft, and kind, not hard and cruel. That was why she hadn't recognized him!_

_"So why were you sad?" He asked, not giving up on her tears._

_"I'm all alone..." She replied after a moment. "I'm going to be alone forever.." Once again tears began building up behind her lids._

_"Well, I'm alone too.." Gaara said, his voice hiding sadness. "I know! We can be alone together." _

_"But...then we wouldn't be alone anymore." Jez fought back her tears._

_"I know." He smiled again, and Jez noticed that it was fitting. His smile was so genuine... "Here." Gaara pulled a silver chain from around his neck, a jade stone that matched his eyes on the end of it. _

_Jez took it and frowned. "What is this?" She asked._

_"You can have it, as long as you promise that you will be mine forever and ever."_

_Smiling Jez nodded and slipped the chain around her neck. "I'll keep this with me, forever.. And then when we grow up, I promise to be yours forever and ever."_

_Jez held out her pinky finger and Gaara grasped her pinky with his. "It's a deal then..."_

——

With a start Jez bolted awake, breathing heavily covered in a cold sweat. What the hell had she just been dreaming about? Was it really something from her past? A shiver rolled down her spine and she realized she desperately needed something to drink. Pushing herself out of bed she made her way to the door, glad it was unlocked and didn't make a sound at all as she cracked it open.

Peering inside Gaara's room she saw nothing and no one, grateful, she slipped into his room and closed the door quietly behind her. Turning around she inhaled sharply, her heart stopping for a fraction of a second. Gaara's jade eyes glowed in the darkness staring at her from mere feet away.

"What do you think you're doing?" He demanded, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I.. I had to... use the bathroom..." She lied, her hand instinctively grasping the stone around her neck, now feeling a new emotion towards the stone and towards the one who gave it to her.

Gaara's eyes followed her hand and, surprisingly, he reached forward and place his hand over hers grasping her hand with his. For a moment Jez thought he was going to act kinder to her.

She was dead wrong.

Gaara suddenly yanked yard, snapping the chain around her neck, then, without a word he turned his back on her walking away.

"No..." she whispered, "You promised..."

Gaara stopped in his tracks like he'd hit a brick wall. "What did you say to me?" He glanced over his shoulder at her.

"You... Pinky promised..."

"I lied." And with that he was gone.

Jez sank to the floor he back pressed against the wall behind her. Sure, she'd been alone before, but that necklace and the promise that came with it was what had been holding her together for as long as she could remember. Even though, she forgot to whom she promised herself. With both of those things now gone...there was nothing holding her together anymore.

* * *

**A/N: **Poor, poor Jez... she finally remembered and it was ripped away from her with no sort of remorse... what a cruel prick Gaara is! ( I still totally secretly love him though XD ) Hahaha. See ya next time, with the next installment of 'With This Knife' ...which is actually an amazing song by I forgot who. XD Uuuuhm.... OH OH! It's by Smile Empty Soul


	8. Chapter Seven: It's Mine!

...Even though, she forgot to whom she promised herself. With both of those things now gone...there was nothing holding her together anymore.

It took her a few minutes to actually come to reality, and when she did, she felt a pulse in her chest that sent waves of crushing pain through her entire body. Gasping for air she clutched at where the pendant used to be, the scene from moments before rushing through her mind only making the pain more crippling to the poor girl.

Blinking back the tears in her eyes she forced herself to stand upright, bracing herself against the wall. The room spun around her, making her feel sick, and without any hesitation whatsoever she ran from the room to the bathroom down the hall. Bursting in it she threw up in the waste bucket by the wall, her body trembling like a cold wet dog.

Jez still couldn't believe it. She had finally recognized him, remembered the promise they'd given each other and what happened? He denied her, completely! Anger and hatred swelled within her, directed solely at the man who was responsible, but then again... _"I lied." _Those two words pushed back the hate and the fury replacing it with a hot searing pain straight through her heart.

"No." She said softly. "I have always hated him...always." She sniffled softly, "He's never even touched the stone...why did he just...?"

Her unanswered question lingered in the air, and feeling more than just crushed she hastily made her way back to her 'room'. If he returned before her and noticed her gone, there would be more than hell to pay.

—

When she woke up the next morning, she was ready to receive her list of chores, but instead of the regular things she had to do and entirely new list had been set out for her. She had to clean the entire East side of the castle, and at her feet were the supplies to do it. A bucket and a few wash clothes.

For a long moment she just stared at the parchment, and then at the supplies; she was too dazed to really care. Picking up the bucket with the cloths in it she headed towards the East side, and lucky for her, rarely ever did anyone go to the East side. That was for guests if they were hosting a party. This kingdom hardly ever had any parties where people stayed, so it was dirty as hell.

Picking a spot on the far side of the area she filled the bucket with scalding water and soap, lathering the first cloth in the mixture, not feeling the water burn her hands.

And then... She began scrubbing. And scrubbing. And scrubbing some more. Then...she kept scrubbing.

Jez lost track of time and soon she forgot that she had to be back in her room at a certain time, or else he'd come looking for her. Then again, her care level regarding anything and everything had dropped to an all time low. He could kill her if he wanted, and she wouldn't move against it. After all...what did she live for now?

Laughter drew her attention away from her scrubbing and she glanced up seeing a two beautifully, and hardly dressed women walk down the hallway towards her. Standing and brushing herself off Jez curiously wondered what they could possibly be doing on the East side.

"...and he gave me this beautiful stone!" The one with the wavy auburn hair giggled.

"Oh, my good_ness!_ That is beautiful!" The girl with the shimmering bleach blonde hair gawked in awe.

It was then that both women spotted the little slave girl, and it was at the same moment Jez saw the 'beautiful stone'.

"Oh, ew." The auburn haired one scoffed. "It's so... Dirty."

"Where did you get that?" Jez pointed a trembling hand to the stone hanging around the woman's neck.

"What this?" She placed a hand over it, her disgusted frown turning into a malicious grin. "Lord Gaara gave it to me this morning at breakfast. Not that it's any of your business."

"That's my necklace." Jez whispered in horror. He'd given her necklace...to a smut?

"Yours? Don't be ridiculous! It's rightfully mine, Gaara-sama gave it to me!" Then turning to the blonde the auburn haired woman grinned excitedly. "Do you think this means he'll marry me?"

The excitement in her voice, made something dark and ugly unfurl in Jez's chest. An inky black hatred began to flow through her veins, wrapping around her heart and clouding her judgment. For a long moment everything seemed to be going so slowly.

"I think it's a sure sign that he'll propose! Oh you'll be a Princess, Marian!" The blonde squealed.

Both girls had begun to walk away ignoring Jez, who had frozen like a statue staring at nothing with a look of fury written all of her face.

"Oh, it'll be so wonder—"

"Bitch!" Jez screamed, her voice echoing down the empty corridors.

Shocked, both women turned to see Jez leap at Marian, the one with the necklace. Marian screamed as both of them tumbled to the floor, rolling once before Jez landed on top of her. Jez reached for the necklace but the blonde grabbed Jez around the waist trying to pull her off, only resulting in a more pissed off slave girl.

Jumping to her feet, and without thinking Jez punched the blonde in the jaw so hard she'd stumbled back and slumped against the wall, blood rolling down her chin. Once she was out of the way Jez turned to find Marian darting away down the hall. Without wasting a second Jez ran and jumped at her again, knocking them again to the ground, this time rolling a few times.

Luckily Marian landed on top and her hands wrapped around Jez's throat. "You stupid jealous wench!"

Bringing her knee up Jez flipped them over again, her hand clutching the necklace before she yanked hard, snapping the chain. "I'm _not _jealous. This belongs to _me_." Jez hissed.

Grunting Marian pushed up, making them roll over again so she was on top. Snatching back the necklace she grinned hatefully. "You are jealous. Jealous that he gave this to me and not a stupid little dirty slave girl like you!"

Once more Jez rolled them over and instead of taking back the necklace, she punched Marian in the face. Hard. And then again, and again. Blinded by rage, and an unfamiliar hurt she just kept hitting, not giving the stuck up slut a chance to defend herself or fight back.

Suddenly someone lifted Jez off the woman and she noticed a lot of blood. On her hands, on the floor...on the other girls face. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" The familiar deep voice made Jez completely still. Her heart skipped a beat, sending the crushing pain through her body yet again, and for a moment she forgot to breathe. Gaara tossed Jez to the floor, the anger in his eyes made Jez's temper tantrum look like nothing. Compared to him, Jez's anger was like a rainstorm, while his was the apocalypse. "I asked you a question." He growled lowly, his foot connecting with her ribs, sending her skidding back a few feet.

"She has my...my..."

"Your what?" Gaara narrowed his eyes, stepping closer ignoring the crying Marian, moaning in pain on the floor behind him.

"My necklace—"

"It is not yours." Gaara interrupted.

"Yes it is!" Jez cried, sadness and betrayal clearing the hazy fog that anger and hatred brought. "You gave that to me on a promise! She doesn't deserve that! It's mine!"

"I recall you not remembering anything about that damned stone." Gaara mused, though his tone was deadly icy.

"Well, I remember now.. You can't just take it back like that." Jez whimpered, tears making muddy tracks down her face.

"Yes I can. I'm a Prince." He turned and knelt down next to Marian, his gaze still cold and empty.

"Fuck you." Jez snapped. "I hope you die and rot in Purgatory."

Gaara froze, his arms underneath the broken and bloody smut. "What did you say?"

"You heard me." By now Jez was standing up, glaring at him with all the hate she could muster. "But in case you're deaf..." She clenched her jaw, "Fuck. You..."

That was as far as she got, for the next second Gaara was in front of her, his hands already clenched and waiting.

"Go ahead. Hit me. It's all you do anyway."

That was it, the straw that broke the camels back. Gaara didn't hit her, no, he had something much worse in mind for her. "Get your supplies. Come with me."

Jez had been expecting pain...being hit or punched, knocked out or being killed or something. Not just an order to follow him. Suddenly she wished she had just let him leave, to let him walk away but she couldn't. The words had slipped from her mouth before she knew what she'd been saying, and now she knew something much worse than being beaten was coming.

—

Jez followed him to the infirmary where he dropped off the badly beaten and bruised Marian. Her blonde friend was already there, ice placed on her swollen cheek, as she sat on a small cot glaring at the one who bruised her.

Then, after the infirmary they started walking, Jez trailing behind Gaara, the cleaning supplies in her hand. It seemed that they were going back to the East side but then Gaara turned and opened a door that had been locked, leading her down another set of barely lit corridors. It wasn't until she was far enough away from the door that it slammed closed, locking again behind them. The sound startled Jez and she turned to look back at it, when her body was slammed against the wall, Gaara pressing his body against hers pinning her there.

"All I do is hit you, right?" He said, his voice eerily dark and malicious. "You're mine aren't you...you belong to me."

His jade eyes were narrowed, and in the flickering light, Jez thought she saw a hint of gold and crimson within his pupils. But she knew what he was talking about, and she pushed against him. "Not since you took the necklace."

"So it's not yours anymore?" Gaara was baiting her now.

"Of course it's mine!" Jez snarled angrily, glaring at him.

"Then _you_ are _mine_." He latched the stone around her neck, leaving bloody marks on her skin from when he took it form Marians hand, which had been bloody as well. Then he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her down the hallway through another door.

"What're you—?" Before she finished her question it had been answered. Gaara led her through another door and tossed her onto an old bed.

"It's only right that I claim what's mine." He spoke moving towards her.

* * *

**A/N:** Haha.. wow! How exciting~ x3 This story is getting more and more... **BAM!** every time I write more of it! Hahaaaaa! Amazing. Oh.. thank you _Gaaras1Girl _for your awesome review. I thank thee for the advice and corrections. Very helpful and nice. Alsooo! NEW faithful reviewer! _Rose1991_! Thank you so effing much for reviewing! YAY! Now I have two for this fic. w00t w00t! Haha ok.. enough~

Oh, and one more thing before I bounce... the next chapter (as you can see from the end of this one) is going to be rated M. Which was why this fic was rated that in the first place. I warned y'all in the second chapter it would get like this eventually. Don't say I didn't warn you and don't hatemail or flame it. Cause that royally pisses me off. -.-; Okay, well... thanks for reading! R&R&R!


	9. Chapter Eight: Shukaku

"Then _you_ are _mine_." He latched the stone around her neck, leaving bloody marks on her skin from when he took it form Marians hand, which had been bloody as well. Then he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her down the hallway through another door.

"What're you—?" Before she finished her question it had been answered. Gaara led her through another door and tossed her onto an old bed.

"It's only right that I claim what's mine." He spoke moving towards her.

"No..." Jez whispered moving back on the bed trying to find the edge of it with her hands.

Gaara said nothing else. He reached the bed and grabbed her ankle, yanking her towards him making her dress roll up by her waist.

"Stop!" Jez struggled to kick him, but he straddled her waist, capturing both her wrists in one hand holding them above her head. "No! Let me go!"

Again, the Prince said nothing as he tore at her thin dress with his other hand. Tears of fear rolled down Jez's cheeks as she struggled to free herself from him. She kept pleading with him to stop, to let her go, but he ignored her. She didn't want to get _hit_, she wanted that _stone_...now she had it. And he remembered in the promise that she belonged to him. He was only taking what was rightfully his.

Jez, in a desperate attempt to make him stop tearing at her clothes, brought up her knee in between his legs trying to hit him in the groin, but he shifted at the last second and she missed. With a smirk that made Jez froze, he pushed his knee in between her legs forcing them to open.

"No!" She wailed trying with all of her might to get away from him. "God, no!"

"God can't help you now." Gaara grumbled lowly.

"No.." She moaned, turning her head away from him pushing her face into the pillows underneath her head.

Gaara roughly grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, "You asked for this." Using his other hand her grasped the stone necklace and roughly let it drop back onto her chest. "That's the price for wearing this necklace."

Trembling underneath him, Jez could no longer find the strength to fight him, or even try to fight him. Closing her eyes, attempting, and failing, to keep her sobs quiet, she turned her head to the side again pushing her face into the pillow. Gaara did not appreciate that...at all.

"Open your eyes and look at what you asked for." He growled.

Slowly her eyes opened and she turned to look at him, and his expression had a flicker of confusion, before it was gone again. She was staring up at him, her onyx hair spread around her head like a dark halo and her normally bright tricolor eyes, were dull and lifeless, only glinting in the flickering light because of the tears. She didn't seem to see him, her mind closed off, blocking everything.

For a long moment Gaara just sat there staring down at her as she stared blankly up at him. An annoyed sound came from Gaara, a strange mix between a grunt and a sigh as he got up off of her. Still she didn't move, just frozen like she was. Curious, and watching her Gaara walked over to the door, opened it and then slammed it shut as if he had left.

It only took a second but her body shivered once, and she blinked her eyes a few times. Then suddenly she turned on her side clutching the pillow to her chest sobbing uncontrollably into the thing. Her sobs soon turned into her gasping for breath as tears rolled down her cheeks and she choked on her own sadness.

Coughing made bright white spots appear behind her eyelids but as hard as she tried she couldn't make herself stop. The tears kept coming, the horrible thought of being taken by force flashing through mind only making it worse. The thing that topped it off was the fact that it was _Gaara_, who was so close to doing it. Even though he hit her, kicked her, basically hated her more than life itself, she always had confidence that he would never do something like that.

_But he didn't... even still. He stopped._

The thought stilled her, and as she thought about it the more it made sense. He dragged her into that room with the intention, but in the end he'd left.

...but if he'd left why did she feel like he was still there?

Sitting up, brushing hair from her face, wiping the wetness from her cheeks. Her tri colored eyes swept across the room only seeing darkness, and moving shadows from the light. Why did he do that? Just to scare her, make her think he was and then not? With a shuddering breathe she wiped at her eyes once more trying to shake the terror that gripped her heart. Moving over to the door, on trembling limbs, she reached for the door handle, but froze a shiver rolling down her spine.

Turning slowly, her breaths slow and shallow she saw something move in the shadows of the room, and it wasn't because of the flickering candle light. Out of the shadows came Gaara, stepping just so that the light reached his shoulder, angling across his body hiding half of him in the darkness. And though she couldn't see his face she knew it was him, she could feel his icy gaze on her, she could practically see the smirk, the glare, everything. Her back pressed against the door, the handle under her fingers tightly gripping to it.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked calmly. "You were not thinking to leave were you?"

Jez opened her mouth to lie, and say no, but she couldn't lie to him, not even if she couldn't see that hateful gaze. So, instead, she remained silent, not saying a word, not willing to waste her breath on him.

He took a step further into the light, his face still hidden. "I asked you a question, I expect the answer."

Under normal circumstances, she'd mouth off to him, say something that would piss him off, but the fear from before still held her in it's deadly grip. "I was... Going to leave." She murmured.

Another step into the light, the smirk visible on his lips. "That's what I thought...and it is out of the question."

"S-says you!" She attempted to get her normal attitude back, failing miserably.

"You want someone to see you like that? You look like a pathetic _whore_." He stepped fully into the light, his unforgiving, judgmental gaze on her.

It was then, Jez realized she was only in her panties and brassiere. A heavy blush spread over her cheeks and subconsciously she crossed her hands over her chest. "I wouldn't... look like this if you hadn't ripped my dress."

"You're lucky that's all I did." He remarked coldly stepping closer to her. "I could have done a lot worse."

A shiver of fear rocked her body and her grip around herself tightened as she tried to step back into the door, but she couldn't. The handle pushed against her lower back and in desperation she whipped around grabbed the handle and yanked. Gaara smirked and slammed the door shut again, pushing his hand against it now directly behind her.

"I told you, you are not going anywhere."

Jez found it hard to get air into her lungs, she could feel the heat from his body only inches from her own. Her heart was pounding so fast, she thought that if it beat and faster it would jump right out of her chest.

"Why...?" She whispered, brokenly. "Why are you doing this to me..?"

There was no answer, instead, when she turned around he was gone. Frantically, to make sure he was not hiding in the shadows, she lit every candle in the entire room. No shadows anywhere and no Gaara in sight. She sighed relieved, and even though she felt a bit better now that he was gone, she felt like she wasn't safe. Turning towards the door she tried the handle again and it was locked! Gripping the golden handle she yanked again and again trying to force the door to open but it wouldn't budge.

—

Gaara had left her in that room, slipping out unnoticed in a secret entrance in the wall. A scowl was on his face as he stormed down the hallways. Why did he stop? He could have taken her if he wanted to, could have ripped her last resolve away, tearing it to pieces, but he stopped. And he didn't know why. He wanted her to keep the innocence she had, as long as she could. Anger rippled through his body once again and he growled storming into his room slamming the door shut making the walls shake. Why did that stupid little girl have such a strong hold over him? None else could make his emotions rage so strongly, but that girl...

Another growl rumbled in his chest as he glared around the room he'd grown familiar to seeing. In a fit of rage he slammed his fist into the mirror hanging on the wall by his wardrobe. He didn't feel the glass cut into his knuckles, or the warm blood roll down his skin...

—

_I let myself fall into a lie..._

_I let my walls come down..._

_I let myself smile and feel alive..._

_I let my walls come down..._

The tune sang in her mind, echoing distantly. She'd heard the words before; yes, sang in one of those traveling bands. It was quite a nice song, actually.

_With this knife I'll cut out the part of me,_

_The part that cares for you._

_With this knife I'll cut out the heart of me,_

_The heart that cares for you..._

The melody repeated itself for Jez, over and over in her mind as she scurried through the room, collecting the torn pieces of her dress as if she could sew it back together. She knew she couldn't, and it was too torn to slip on and hope for cover if she found a way out of that strange locked room. With a sigh she stared down at the pieces in her hand and set them aside, flopping face down on the big bed.

With a start the girl realized how soft it was. Soft and big an so much better than that stupid hay covered thing she used to call a bed.

"Mmm..." She groaned into the soft down on the blanket, and curled onto her side clutching the equally fluffy pillow to her chest.

Her body ached from the earlier ordeal, and the bed was _so_ soft, like it was calling out to her. Calling her to sleep in its softness...to revel in the wonderful feeling of relaxation it let her feel.

"Only for a minute..." She mumbled slipping under the warm blanket, "then I'll find...a way...out."

The familiar horror of falling into blackness engulfed her, but this time she embraced it, too tired to fight.

The corridor was long and dark, the only light was the flickering candles spaced too far apart on the stone walls. The knife glinted in every flicker of orange and yellow flame, sending bright flashes down the hallway. Footsteps echoed in the emptiness, and a figure came down the dark corridor. Just the person she wanted to see.

Gaara.

Her delicate digits closed around the wooden handle of the knife, and her hand slipped into the folds of her new dress. He approached her, and she saw his lips move but heard no words. His expression hardened but her ears were deaf to him. As if against her own will the hand holding the knife moved fast, and came into contact with something hard. A bright crimson liquid splashed across her face, arms and clothes again and again as her arm came down over and over again. Gaara crumpled to the ground a river of blood flowing away from him and settling into the cracks in the floor.

Horror struck her and she opened her mouth to scream the knife dropping from her hand, but no sound came from her mouth. Tears filled her eyes but they didn't fall. Instead she heard laughter. Dark and cruel, the sound bouncing off the walls of stone.

"NO!"

Jez screamed, her eyes snapping open. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, pain pulsing through her with every beat. Gasping for breath it took a few long moments for her to become conscious of the fact that she was still locked in a room with no known way out.

She had no new dress, no bloodied knife, and Gaara was not dead at her feet. Her chest tightened. Why would she dream something like that?

Why would she want that to happen?

Her arms folded around herself, clutching her bare shoulders tightly as sobs shook her body. The terror from the dream lingering.

—

Gaara had been pacing around his room waiting for the seamstress to make a new dress, not particularly a nice one, but one fit enough for a slave girl, when he grew uneasy.

It was not often that he grew uneasy, it only happened once every so often, but he knew why it was and growled at the thought of it happening again. He'd thought he got rid of his _problem_ some years ago. Apparently not.

"I don't go away that easily." A male voice chided. "You can't get rid of me, I'm a part of you.."

"Go away." Gaara hissed angrily shooting a glare towards the doorway, where a sandy blonde male stood against the doorway. He wasn't particularly built, but he wasn't a twig either. He was the exact same size and shape as Gaara, only his eyes were yellow and his hair was the color of sand.

"Aww, don't be so mean, Gaa-chan." The man seemed to glide into the room, folding his arms behind his back.

"I said go away. You disgust me." Gaara closed his eyes in an attempt to lock out the annoying man standing in front of him, but even behind closed lids he could see the smirk of that insufferable man.

"You haven't changed at all since we were young!" The man huffed, "You're still a dick."

A growl made it's way past Gaara's lips but before he could say anything more a soft knock at his open door made him turn. The young seamstress was there holding a dress in her hands. It looked much like the one Jez had worn before only it was longer, sleeveless, and not dirty.

"The dress is finished, Sire." The girl looked around the room trying to see if anyone else was there with the two of them. No one was.

Waving his hand towards the dresser Gaara dismissed the girl, and waited until she set the dress down and left before he turned his attention back to the man now bouncing on his bed impatiently.

"Who's the dress for?" The man grinned wide.

"None of your business." Gaara snapped, turning and walking out the door.

He was nearly to the secret chamber where he'd left Jez, when an ear-splitting scream echoed down the hallway followed by soft sobs. He pushed back an unidentifiable emotion that he refused to add a name to, and sped up a fraction.

He unlocked the door and swung it open to find Jez sobbing on the bed, the sheets rumpled around her as if she just woke up. His eyes narrowed as he glanced about the too bright room with every candle lit, and nearly put out.

"Get dressed." He threw the dress at her nearly startling her to death.

"Yum-my!" The thin man sang from beside Gaara. "Who is this delectable delight, and why did you not tell me about her?"

Gaara left the room standing just outside it, slamming the door shut behind him. Facing the man who had followed him he narrowed his eyes dangerously. "You touch her and I will kill you." He paused. "I mean it, Shukaku."

* * *

**A/N**: My apologies for being gone so long...! I moved six hours away from home and I'm working too many hours at Kohls... and it's tiring! :P But I updated so now you must love me again. I command it. LOVE ME! Oh! And thankies for the reviews guys I lurved it! :3

Btw... no rated M this chappie haha I changed my mind and a thank you to my reviewers from last chappie I love you guys! *-* ...so, I have to go cause I have to work tomorrow at six am (blechie) buh byes now!


	10. Chapter Nine: I Want To Play

Without giving the other man a second to respond, Gaara turned and opened the door, just as Jez finished tying the apron part of the dress around her waist. Shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other, she kept her gaze on the ground away from the Prince. Her mind was still reeling from her extremely vivid dream and she didn't think she could look at him without fear of seeing the bloody images from her mind all over again.

Instead of noticing or saying anything about her acting unusual, Gaara seemed distracted. "This is where you stay now." He said bluntly, obvious irritation in his voice.

Glancing at him sideways Jez merely nodded, not understanding why all of a sudden she was moving places. Didn't he want her miserable? Trapped? Forced to endure his presence? Not like she was going to complain, though. An actual mattress? Some semblance of privacy.. What was there to complain about?

"You are not to leave this room unless otherwise instructed." Gaara commanded, frowning. Every once and a while he would turn his head and narrow his eyes slightly, like he was seeing something that she wasn't. It was incredibly unnerving.

"How am I supposed to do my chores? Or use the bathroom? You can't just—"

"I _can_." Gaara snarled, his hands curling into fists and uncurling over and over.

"What am I supposed to do? I can't just sit here and do nothing!" Jez protested, letting her eyes drift from his hands to his face.

"You can and you will." Gaara snapped, his voice louder than she'd ever heard it, but still not at a shouting level.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Jez asked, frustrated. "I never did anything to you. I've obeyed you, I've cooked your meals, I've stayed out of your way and this is what I get? Locked in a damn bedroom with nothing?"

"She's feisty. I like her. Can I play with her?" Shukaku purred moving towards Jez circling her, a hungry look in his eyes.

"Shut up." Growled Gaara.

"But I want to play with her. You never let me play." Shukaku pushed, situating himself between Gaara and Jez. "C'mon, Gaa-chan. Let me play."

"I said shut up." Gaara hissed, his voice gone from angry to deadly calm, eyes darkening with each second that passed.

"I didn't say anything.." Jez whispered, taking a few steps back. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

"Someone is losing his mind.." Shukaku teased, laughing in Gaara's face.

"Shut up, or I will make you.." Gaara breathed calmly. He was looking at Jez and yet he wasn't looking at her at all. It was like he was looking right through her, or at someone else.

"I'm not..." She hesitated, fear making a knot in her stomach. "I didn't..."

Gaara's eyes focused for a second on Jez when his body tensed visibly. Moving to the door he held it wide open. "Get out." He said coldly.

"What? But you just said—"

"Get _out!_" he roared.

For a long moment Jez just stared at him her eyes wide with fear, but not waiting for him to tell her again she inched past him, then broke into a run down the hallway. Her bare feet hurt as they pounded against the wood floor, but she didn't stop. She rounded a corner just as she heard another loud yell. It sounded pained.

For a second she stopped and turned, her breaths coming out in short bursts. Should she go back? No. She couldn't. But.. No. She had to go back. She had promised him when they were younger to be with him forever.

Then again, he broke that promise. He was going to violate her. He gave away her necklace to someone else. A harlot! _What do I do?_ she asked herself probably a million times, before she came to a conclusion.

It was a stupid idea, but she couldn't talk herself out of it. She wouldn't let herself do that. When Jez made a promise, no matter who it was to, how badly she was treated by that person, or how betrayed she felt, she kept to it, even if it was against her better judgment. More than halfway down the hallway back to the room she'd left Gaara in, she stopped. The lights in her room were out, and the candles, one by one lining the hallway were going out. More than nervous, she took a step back, her hand on the wall.

Jez wanted to call out, to see if Gaara was there, but technically she had disobeyed him. She wasn't supposed to be here. Swallowing apprehensively she took a couple more steps back, almost waiting to see him emerge from the darkness. But he didn't.

Instead, insane laughter echoed down the hallway. Loudly.

"I can smell you." A voice whispered beyond the darkness. Eerie. Almost like the hissing of sand as it falls. "The fear." A pause. "It's so... Delicious.."

"E-excuse me?" Jez squeaked, now moving backwards at a steady pace, watching the candles flicker out just as she caught a slight glimpse of the one in front of her.

"You. Your fear." Jez heard a deep inhale, "It fills me with excitement."

"I don't... who are you...? What have you done to—"

"To Gaa-chan?" The man laughed, the sound twisted, maniacal. "Nothing. We were playing and I just happened to win."

"Playing?" Jez croaked. "Where is he? I... I don't think he'd like it if you.."

"If I what?" The man chuckled.

Jez didn't see him move, she couldn't really see him at all, but suddenly he was directly in front of her, his grin wide, his eyes feral. A hot pain sliced across her face and she fell backward crying out. Landing on her ass, her hand flew to her cheek. Her hand connected with something hot and sticky, it was running through the cracks between her fingers.

"What...?" she gasped, eyes wide staring up at him.

Her heart skipped a beat when her gaze settled on his face. He looked almost identical to Gaara. Same height, same build, same hairstyle. But there was so much different. The color of his eyes were golden, and his pupil was in a four pointed star shape. His hair was sandy, not unlike Lady Temari's. There were weird symbols surrounding his eyes curling slightly above his eyes and two slashes below them leading away and down his cheek.

"Who are you?" She stuttered, scooting away from him as fast as she could.

"Hm?" He tilted his head, licking her blood from his fingers. "Oh, dear. Was I that rude?" He moved forward, getting closer to her with every step. "I am Shukaku." He loomed over her, his grin widening, his eyes shining. "You are Jez. I want to play with you."

* * *

**A/N: **I am back bitches! :D And guess who decided to show his lovely face? That's right. Shukaku. I don't really know his personality very well, but guess what? He's a sadistic fuck. Incredibly so, and... well, I guess you'll just have to find out. I'm going to update more, maybe even another chapter today. We'll see. I love you guys!


	11. Chapter Ten: Who Did This?

"I am Shukaku." He loomed over her, his grin widening, his eyes shining. "You are Jez. I want to play with you."

"Well.. You can't." Jez murmured, feeling up the wall with her free hand. She needed to find something to grasp to pull herself up. If she was standing it would be easier for her to run. Scooting away wasn't working very well and the knot in her stomach told her to get away from this crazy man as fast as humanly possible.

"Oh? Are you going to stop me?" He laughed hard, tilting his head back, his arms wrapped around his waist.

He was temporarily distracted. Jez took this opportunity to lash out at him with her leg, catching his feet, making him topple. Jumping up as he fell Jez turned and bolted down the hallway around a corner. Franticly she searched for somewhere to hide, her heart pounding in her chest; she heard movement behind her and only pushed herself harder, faster. That man was crazy, she could see it in his face. He'd already hurt her and made it quite known he had no problem with Gaara's wrath. That was a huge problem.

"Little girl," Shukaku sang from behind her, "I will catch you. When I do.. I will make you scream."

The way he spoke, so calmly, so hauntingly, sent a shiver down her spine. Where was Gaara? Why was he letting this man follow her? Hurt her? What if he kills her?

"Oh God.." She rasped, turning another corner. Behind her Shukaku kept taunting her, calling out to her. Describing gruesome things that he wanted to do to her. Under no circumstances could she let him catch up to her.

Around another corner she went, but she stumbled to a halt. The whole corridor was dark. No candles, no light. Her breath caught in her throat; she couldn't see anything. She had to make a decision and fast. Run into the dark, or let Shukaku catch her. Face her fears, or be tortured. Glancing behind her, heart pounding she saw him closing in, his laughter echoing off the walls. Her chest was heaving from lack of air, her muscles burned, her head was spinning. What should she do?

Too late. Shukaku had reached her. His hand clamped down hard on her shoulder, his nails digging into her skin. Pulling her backwards, she spun around and swung blindly trying to hit him, to hurt him. Incapacitate him in some way. Catching her wrist with his other hand he shoved her backwards, and her back hit the wall.

"I want to play. You will play with me." Shukaku purred into her ear, his body close, pressing her harder into the cold stone.

"I don't want to." She whispered fear evident in her voice. "Let me go. Please... Just let me go."

"Begging? Already?" He sounded disappointed. "I haven't even started yet." His hand trailed down her bare arm, his fingernails lightly grazing her skin. She shivered, clamping her eyes shut. "Now, I don't want to ruin the new dress Gaa-chan had made for you... So take it off."

"What?" Jez breathed, horrified.

"Take. It. Off." He repeated stepping back away from her. He was within reach so if she tried to run he could easily grab her and stop her.

Trembling with fear Jez slowly untied the back of her dress and slid it off of her shoulders, over her hips letting it drop to the floor. Now she stood in her brassiere and panties feeling more naked than she ever had.

"Such a good girl." Shukaku murmured grabbing her hand, pulling her away from the wall and down the hallway into a dimly lit room. "I don't know why Gaa-chan complains about you so much." He remarked, helping her sit in a cold wooden chair.

Her body shook with a mixture of the cold and fear, her eyes watching him move trying not to focus too hard on what he was saying. Taking a candle from it's position mounted on the wall he threw it to the ground, the flame disappearing making the room a little darker. He saw her tense and grinned.

"You don't like the dark, do you?" He asked grabbing another candle and bringing it over to her. "Do you want it?" In his eyes was a glint of an emotion she couldn't place. "Well?" He pushed now standing directly in front of her.

"Yes?" she answered uncertainly.

"Is that your answer, Jez? Are you sure you want the candle?" Leaning down he held the candle about an inch from her face. A slight nod from Jez gave him all the answer he needed. He turned the candle upside down and pressed the burning flame into her bare thigh.

Jez couldn't help it. She screamed and jerked back away from him; it felt like her thigh was on fire. Tears sprang to her eyes and she bit down on her lip hard to keep herself from crying. She could hear her skin sizzling for a moment before the flame went out, no doubt leaving a scar on her thigh.

"You said you wanted it, so I gave it to you." Shukaku shrugged and grabbed the last two candles. "I'm going to guess you don't want these?" He cocked his head to the right, his grin never faltering, never fading.

"No!" She cried, pushing the chair back away from him.

"Okay~"

The last thing she saw before the candles went out and total darkness surrounded her, was the twisted smile on his pale face.

Her nerves were shot, her heart pounding, and all she could think about was the darkness around her. It was suffocating, it felt like it was closing in on her, waiting to wrap itself around her throat.

"You scared?" Shukakus voice whispered beyond the darkness. It was hard to tell where it came from. "I can taste the fear. It's intoxicating." He spoke from right behind her, his hand dancing along her bare arms, across her back. She yelped in fright, jumping in her seat, but he pushed down, holding her in the chair. "Now, now. Running away isn't nice."

"Fuck being nice." She hissed, her fingers digging into the wood of the chair.

"Calm down. I'm only playing." The tone of his voice made it sound like he was pouting. "You're rude."

She felt his hand shift on her arm, then a sharp burning as he dragged his fingernail down, pressing hard enough to draw blood. He did it slowly, again and again. After a few minutes of this she was able to numb her body to the pain.

"Oh that's no fun." Shukaku snapped. His hand connected with her face so suddenly she cried out, her body jolting. "No fun. You're becoming boring." He lit a candle and held it close to her face. "I don't like boring. I like it better when you scream." He pressed the flame against her cheek, pushing hard, listening to her scream as her skin melted and burned.

"Stop!" She sobbed. "God, please, stop."

"I'm not God. I told you my name." He lit another candle, let it burn for a few seconds, then pushed it into the crook of her neck. Again Jez screamed, tears leaking down her cheeks.

"Why?" she sniffled. "Why are you doing this to me?" She bowed her head, her tangled hair hanging in her face, and over her shoulders.

"Why?" Shukaku stopped and blinked almost confused. "I don't know. Because it's fun?"

"How is it fun?" she snapped. "You're sick. There is something wrong in your head."

"I am not." He huffed, his eyes narrowing.

"Yes you are!" She shrieked. "Normal people don't hurt others because it's fun. You're a twisted fuck."

"Watch your mouth, little girl." Shukaku growled, his hands twitching in irritation.

"Little girl? I am not a child." Jez snarled. "I am a grown woman."

"Don't make me laugh." He chided. "You've never felt the touch of a man," he slid his hands over her body, his nails dragging across her skin. "You have not bore any children, you are hardly a woman. Still a child."

"That's not my fault." She protested, her heart sinking. "I—"

"You what? Had a family to take care of? Your brothers, since you left, are married. They have their own families. You were holding them back, dear Jezebelle."

At the use of her full name she stiffened. "You don't know anything."

"Oh, but I do, dear. I get around. I know things you don't." Shukaku said matter-of-factly. "I know your father passed about a week ago,"

"No." Jez gasped, fresh tears threatening to spill.

"Your family has forgotten you. You meant nothing to them. A useless bitch to do the work. And when you left... They had a party." The last words were whispered in her ear.

"You're lying." She bit out through gritted teeth.

"Why would I lie? I don't know you, I don't like you, there is no reason for a lie." He moved away from her about a foot, his back to her.

"You want to hurt me. You're lying." As she spoke, she moved slowly out of the chair, grabbing it tightly and lifting it off the ground.

He turned to respond when she slammed the chair down on his head. Shukaku fell to the ground, groaning, but temporarily out. Jez felt her way to the door in the darkness and slammed it shut behind her sliding the lock into place. With her hand against the wall she felt her way down the hall and to a door. Luckily it was open, and she stumbled out of the hallway into a new lit one.

Stumbling down the corridor she searched for something to tell her where she was. A familiar room, a person, something... Anything. As the adrenaline started to fade, her vision became blurry and her legs weak. Pain overwhelmed her and she collapsed to her knees, most of her body weight resting on the wall.

"Oi... Jez?"

Hearing her name she glanced up through blurry eyes and saw a familiar tall male standing over her. "L-lord Sas-uke...?" she murmured.

"What the bloody hell happened to you?" He knelt next to her and lifted her chin up to examine her face. "Shit."

"He... He hurt me." She whispered, not trying to hold herself up anymore.

"Gaara?" Sasuke frowned. "Gaara hurt you?"

"No." Jez moaned. "Shu... Shukaku..."

"Shit.." Sasuke grabbed her and pulled her into his arms lifting her up. "I have to take you to the infirmary."

"I... I can't. I have to... Find Lord Gaara.." Jez shook her head pushing against Sasuke's chest in an attempt to get away from him.

"Fuck that prick." Sasuke growled, as he walked briskly down the hallways.

Jez went slack in his arms the pain and stress taking it's toll on her body. She came in and out of consciousness several times, but never for more than a few minutes. When she was awake for those few fleeting moments she saw that they were not going to the infirmary at all.


	12. Chapter Eleven: By My Side Always

"Fuck that prick." Sasuke growled, as he walked briskly down the hallways.

Jez went slack in his arms, the pain and stress taking it's toll on her body. She came in and out of consciousness several times, but never for more than a few minutes. When she was awake for those few fleeting moments she saw that they were not going to the infirmary at all.

—

On the outside Jez lay on the bed, unconscious and still. But, on the inside her mind had taken her to a place she had long forgotten. A place she wished she could forget again.. If her mind ever let her leave this horrid memory.

_The smell of smoke was heavy in the air causing the four year old to squirm in her bed, trying to find a comfortable spot on the bed that would allow fresh air into her lungs. After a few minutes of discomfort the child peeked open her eyes, having a hard time adjusting to the darkness and the thick fog that seemed to cover everything in sight. _

_"Momma?" she whispered, her voice cracking. "Momma, where are you?" _

_Pushing herself off the bed she wandered to her door and standing on the tip of her toes she was able to grasp the handle and pull it open. A wave of intensely overwhelming heat rushed at her. The child cried out and stumbled backwards tripping and falling on her own feet. Terror seized the child and she began to cry. _

_"Mommy!" she screamed. "Mommy!"_

Jez shifted in the bed a soft moan escaping her lips; she turned on her side curling into the bed, brows furrowed.

—

Once Gaara had regained control of himself he stalked the hallways of his home looking for Jez. He felt an emotion akin to fury, but it was not directed at her; it was directed at two different people. Gaara had found out from Melody, a servant girl working there, that Sasuke had taken an unconscious Jez somewhere, and he wasn't going to stop until he found her.

Fortunately it didn't take him long to figure out where they had gone. The door to Sasuke's room was closed, though that held no meaning for the Prince. Knocking the door inwards he saw Sasuke sitting in a chair his eyes glued to Jez.

"What are you doing in here?" Sasuke demanded standing up and glaring at Gaara, his arms crossed over his chest.

Gaara said nothing as he moved to Jez's side going to pick her up. Sasuke grabbed Gaara and turned him around. "I asked you a question and I expect an answer."

"It would serve you well to remove your hand from me and to speak to your superior with more respect." Gaara said emotionlessly.

"I don't give a fuck what you want me to do. Answer my question." Sasuke snarled moving in between Jez and the prince.

"Move." Gaara said, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"No." Sasuke snapped. "You didn't care enough to take care of her when she was hurt, you don't get to barge in here and think you have the right to take her now."

"I have every right." Gaara spoke plainly. "She is mine."

Sasuke glared, his eyes narrowing in disgust. He lunged forward and took a swing at Gaara.

—

Jez shifted again, her breath coming out in labored gasps, as if she were choking.

_"Mommy, Daddy?" the child cried tears leaking from the corners of her eyes and down her face._

_She was now backed up against the far wall in her small room. The flames licked at the walls, making crackling and hissing noises as it effortlessly devoured her home. A couple of the windows in her room exploded outwards, as the pressure inside the home built up. She screamed the terror paralyzing her, her body shivering; the smoke thickened and she began coughing, the fumes making it hard for her to breathe._

—

Gaara dodged, grasping Sasuke's arm and twisting it painfully so that Sasuke shifted with it. With his free hand, Gaara grabbed the back of Sasuke's head and slammed it into the table he had next to the bed. It cracked and splintered under the force. Sasuke grunted kicking out at Gaara catching his legs and bringing them both to the ground.

—

_The little girl tried to scream again as the fire reached closer but her lungs couldn't get enough air, so all she could do was emit a strangled cry. Through the roar of the flames she could hear frantic voices outside her home, and she tried to call out to them, but was unable. _

_Another crash was heard as pillars started coming down the flames nearly reaching her. A figure burst through the window to her room, and seeing her crouched in the corner ran to her, lifting the small, barely conscious child into his arms. _

_"It's alright now, little one." He said as he moved back towards the window he'd come through._

—

Sasuke and Gaara rolled around on the bare floor, swinging at each other landing blows; one trying hard to knock the other out.

—

Jez coughed, sweat beading on her skin, her heart pounding as the images flashed through her mind. She tried hard to wake up, but like the flames in her dream, it wouldn't let her go.

_The small child wrapped her arms tightly around the mans neck burying her face into his chest, wheezing, trying hard to breathe. _

_"You are alright now." He cooed slipping through the broken window and out into the fresh air. He rushed them away from the fire and gently laid her in the grass a safe distance away. He had to make sure that she would survive; her parents already dead in their beds, he didn't think he could bare seeing a helpless child die too. "I am here now, you will be alright."_

Jez rolled over again, in her sleep, but she was so close to the edge that she fell and landed on the hard ground. The force woke her up and she gasped, panicking, drawing in as much air as she could, her eyes wide with fright. The scene in front of her didn't help, and she watched for a moment as Sasuke and Gaara rolled around on the floor, both bloody and bruised.

It all seemed like it was too much. Shukaku inflicting pain on her, the mental strain of her dream, accompanied with the panic of suffocation that lingered with her, she felt like she couldn't handle it anymore. Jez clamped her hands over her mouth, tears leaking down her face; she leapt to her feet, jumped over the two men and bolted out the door and down the hallway.

Gaara and Sasuke stopped their fighting as they both watched in shock as Jez took off. Gaara gave Sasuke one last hard punch to the temple before going after Jez.

—

She didn't stop, she didn't slow down she just ran. With no knowledge of where she was going or for how long she was going to run, she just kept moving. Eventually she burst through a door that led to the back courtyard of the castle; that was when she slowed and finally stopped falling to her knees, her body seeming to crumple in on itself as she sat there and sobbed in silence.

She remembered. It had all come flooding back to her and she wished it would go away. Her birth parents death when she was so young. Her adopted father rescuing her from the flames, and taking her in as his own. Meeting Gaara those first few years without her parents feeling lonely and abandoned, him as her only friend and comfort. Then losing it all; all the memories the pain locked away for so long only to come rushing back all at once.

Gaara stood at the door to the courtyard, watching her silently. Her body shaking, her chest heaving with sobs; he knew some of that pain she felt was part of his fault. If he had better control of the thing inside his own mind, she would never had to have remembered it like this. But still, he felt little.

She was a weak little girl, and she needed to know the harshness of life, like everyone else did. There was no exception for anyone, and he was not one for coddling.

"Girl." He spoke coldly walking out into the cool night. "Get up."

Jez turned slightly hiccupping, her eyes red and puffy from crying. Through blurry vision she saw that Gaara barely had a scratch on him, but how was that possible? She'd just seen him fighting with Sasuke only moments before.

"Do not make me repeat myself." Gaara said reaching her, towering over her frail form.

Slowly Jez stood, her arms wrapped around herself now aware that once again she was in his presence almost completely naked.

"Where is the dress?" He asked, his voice demanding obedience.

"He made me take it off." She replied softly, her eyes on her feet.

"Where?"

"I... I can't remember. I-in the hallway." She sniffled wiping at her eyes.

Gaara shifted and when Jez looked up, he was holding out his shirt for her to wear. "Put it on and show me. You look like a whore, and I will not have it."

Jez shockingly took his shirt and pulled it on over her head, meekly walking past him through the dark corridors to the place where Shukaku had chased her down. She found the room where he had kept her and knelt down to pick up the dress.

Without a word Gaara walked in front of her and she followed knowing that she had to. He led her into a brightly lit room and ordered her to sit and remove the shirt she was wearing. Jez did as she was told; looking down at herself she winced. All the cuts and bruises sticking out against her pale skin, the burn on her thigh. She didn't want to look at her face, knowing that it would look the same if not worse.

"Look at me." Gaara said, sitting down in a chair in front of her.

He looked her over and grabbed some salve from the desk next to him and began applying it to her wounds and bruises. His hands were soft and gentle on her skin and she closed her eyes breathing out silently at the cooling relief she felt. He was careful around her chest making sure not to touch her inappropriately, and the same on her thigh.

"Tilt your head." He spoke, his voice not nearly as cold as it had been before. Obediently Jez tilted her head and moved her hair away from her neck, hissing in pain when he rubbed the salve over her burned skin. "Look up." Only commands he gave, never saying anything as he was applying the medicine.

When Gaara finished he leaned back a bit, his eyes always stoic, never showing emotion. "Where else?"

"U-uh... What?" she asked, startled.

"Where else?" He repeated irritation underlying his tone.

"My back." She murmured, embarrassed.

"Turn around." Yet again he said nothing else, only applied what he needed to where she was hurt.

This was different, and awkward for Jez. Having only known Gaara as a man who aims to hurt her, to have him help her in a way unnerved her.

"May I ask a question, Lord Gaara?" Jez spoke tentatively. The Prince hesitated for a moment but gave a grunt of approval. "Is... Is what Shukaku said true?" Tears brimmed her eyes, but she blinked the wetness away. "Is my... Is he dead?"

"Yes." Gaara stood and put the salve away.

"Oh," she breathed raggedly. After a moments silence she spoke again, "Thank you, Lord Gaara."

Another grunt from Gaara; Jez suspected that was all the conversation they were going to have and resigned to silence. She sat with her hands in her lap, her eyes distant.

It seemed a long while before anyone spoke, but Gaara was the one to break the silence. "You will stay with me." He said. Seeing Jez's confused look, he rolled his eyes in annoyance, but decided to clarify. "You will be by my side at all times. Understand?"

"Yes, my Lord." She stuttered. Why all of a sudden?

"You will only leave when I command it." He grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. "Come. You need to be washed."

Wanting to take that in a negative way, but unable Jez just nodded numbly and walked with Gaara down to the washroom her mind reeling. Why was this happening all of a sudden? He hated her, made it known; so why? He obviously knew about what Shukaku had done, maybe that was why? Maybe it was to protect her?

That thought almost made her laugh, but then again, he had made it abundantly clear that Gaara himself was the only one allowed to touch her. Maybe it was to protect what was his, not necessarily her at all.

While in her thoughts, she lost track of what was going on around her, and suddenly found herself completely bare in a tub of warm water. It was the pain that brought her out of her mind, but embarrassment that kept her from retreating back in.

No one else was around except for Gaara, so he had to have been the one to strip her. Which meant... Heat flooded to her cheeks and she wrapped her arms around her chest, staring down into the water avoiding his gaze.

"I have seen many women. You are nothing special." Gaara huffed in annoyance, resisting the urge to roll his eyes again. Naïve girl. "You have five minutes. I will be waiting outside."

He turned and left Jez alone, blushing and furious.

* * *

**A/N:** What's this? Gaara actually doing something nice for her? Is his super hard shell cracking?! O: _What?!_ Teeheehee~ Ok, there is a reason for it, not because I want him to be OOC, but because he believes it is his fault she got hurt because he wasn't strong enough to hold Shukaku back. That and only that. Well... and he didn't want Sasuke to step in and be all "blah blah blah you hurt her I have rights to her now blah blah blah" if that makes sense. Next chapter will probably be full of tension between him and Sasuke, and Jez will be wallowing in her thoughts of her family... maybe Shukaku comes back! You'll have to wait and find out my loves. R&R&R~!


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